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No. 6l5,45|. Patented Dec. 6, |898. J. L. HASTINGS.

COAL FEEDER FOR GAS PRODUCERS.

(Application led June 11, 1897A (No Model.)

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UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. HASTINGS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE STANDARD GAS COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF SAME PLACE.

COAL-FEEDER FOR GAS-PRODUCERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,451, dated December 6, 1898.

' Application filed J" une 11, 1897. Serial No. 640,338. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t hwg/'concerns Be it known that I, JAMES L. HASTINGS, a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Coal-Feeders for Gas Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to coalfeeders forgasgenerating and like apparatus.

It is Well known that where soft coal is charged into gas-generators it is especially desirable that the coal feeder or hopper shall be such as will preventthe escape of the gas on account of the loss of the same and on account of the smoke or large proportion of soot or solid carbons carried oif by the gas passing through the hopper when it is opened. For this reason closed hoppers which hold the coal to be fed in a closed chamber, from which it is dropped by the opening of a valve or dropping bottom, have heretofore been employed. The principal difficulty found with this class of hopper is in connection with the handling of soft or bituminous coal, which is liable to become heated through the heat carried to the hopper by induction through the metal body thereof or the upper walls of the generator. This leads to the formation of tar, which causes the valves to stick and gives much trouble to the operator; and the object of the present invention is to overcome this difficulty in the use of coal-feeding hoppers for gas-generators and like apparatus.

The invention comprises, generally stated, a coal-feeding hopper adapted to rest on the top cf the generator or furnace and having a hopper-body containing the coal, an upwardly closing valve forming the bottom thereof, and an annular water chamber around and in contact with and extending below the valve to absorb the heat and prevent its passage to the upper portion of the body of the hopper which contains the coal. It also comprises certain other improvements, which will be hereinafter set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make Figure 1 is a side View of the hopper. Fig.

2 is a longitudinal central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a top or plan View; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 2.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts 5 5 in each figure.

The hopper illustrated embodies the invention in one approved form, though it is to be understood that, so far as the broad idea of the invention is concerned, its form may be 6o changed materially without departing from the same.

The hopper or coal feeder is formed of cast metal, and, as illustrated, it is formed in two main partsthe lower or water-jacket part A and the hopper part B. The water-jacket part Ahas the base-flange a, which rests upon the top of the generator or other furnace to vwhich the coal is to be fed, and in the preferred construction it has the inner shell b, which ex- 7o tends up to the valve-seat c, being contracted as it approaches the valve-seat, so that within the inner shell is provided space for the swinging of the valve CZ. Around the inner lshell b is a water-chamber e, which is formed 75 by the outer walls e e2 e3, it being preferred that the water-jacket so formed shall be raised above the bottom flange, so that the water contained within the annular chamber 'e can act directly upon the inner shell of the hop- 8o per, while a space a. is left between the water-jacket and the bottom flange for the circulation of air. In this way the water-chamber surrounds the valve-seat and is in contact with the walls thereof, so that the water 8 5 acts directly upon the shell of the valve-seat to cool it and prevent the gathering of tar or other such substance as would clog it. To supply the water-chamber e. with water, suitable pipe connections are made, such as the 9o inlet-pipe f, communicating with the lower end of the chamber, and the outlet-pipe f', communicating with the upper end thereof.

In the upper part of the central space g within the inner shell is formed the bearing g for the operating-shaft g2, which carries the valve d, the valve and said shaft being connected by a rocker-arm h, having a key-and-slot connection with the shaft g2, so providing for the opening and closing of the valve. This rocker- Ioo arm hasl at its outer end a socket 7L', which ts loosely around the central bolt d' of the valve CZ, said central bolt being tapped into the valve and the valve being carried centrally upon the rocker-arm, but having sufficient play to seat itself properly in the valveseat c. The valve-seat and valve have faces corresponding with each other and preferably made tapering, as shown. As thus constructed by the turning of the horizontal shaft g2 the valve can be swung from the valve-seat into the enlarged chamber g, so as to permit of the drop of the coal from the hopper into the gasgenerator. It will be noticed that the annular water-chamber e eX- tends close to the valve-seat c, extending over the inner wall l), where it projects inwardly to the valve-seat and so bringing the cooling effect of the water as close as practicable to the valve.

The upper or hopper part of the coal-feeder can be made of any shape desired, it being preferred that it shall have a tapering base, though the walls thereof may be straight, if desired, and the body of coal be entirely supported upon the dropping-valve. It is properly bolted to the top of the water-jacket base A and has at its upper end a iiange to which the hopper-top 7c is connected, this top carrying the posts 7c' and 7a2, the posts k forming the bearing for the horizontallyswinging lid Z, which fits in the top opening Z of the hopper, and for the cotter-bar m, both lid and bar being mounted on said bearing-post While extending through the cotter-bar is the clamping-screw n, which serves to force the lid down upon its seat. The post k2 gives support to the free end mvof the cotter-bar, said post having the bolt or head 7c3, into which the hollow seat m2 of the free end m of the Cotter-bar ts, so that as the cotterbar is swung to place over the lid the only thing necessary to clamp it down is to turn the hand-bar n, and so clamp the lid upon the cover-seat and form a tight joint between the lid and hopper. It is to be noticed that the face of the hopper-top lt is fiat and that the lid Zhas a fiat bottom face with a square edge and that in swinging horizontally to place it travels close to the face of the top 7s. In so doing it wipes oif from the top 7c any coal or other substance which would prevent its forming a close joint therewith. By such construction a perfect joint is always formed between the hopper top and lid, and when the lid is forced down to place a perfect gastight joint, metal to metal, is obtained. The lid l has twovstuds Z2 Z3 on its top face, between which the Cotter-bar swings, so that the lid is drawn off or moved to its seat on the hopper-top by the movement of the cotter-bar, which strikes these studs.

For the operation of the valve d I prefer the following construction: The operatingshaft g2 extends through a bearing beyond the outer wall c2 of the water-jacket, and a lever p is rigidly connected to the end thereof. A bearing r is formed on the upper end of the hopper-top 7o, in which is mounted the operating-lever fr, and that operating-lever is connected to the lever p by the wroughtmetal strap s, which has the forked end s fitting around the operating-lever r and the forked end S2 fitting around the lever p. The upper forked end s' of the strap is made of considerable length,.so as to give spring action to the forks S3 s4 thereof, and the connecting-bolt r2, passing through the operating-lever and the forks of the strap, has its head seated in one fork to prevent the turning thereof, while its opposite end is threaded, and on this threaded end is secured the hand-nut t, so that when the valve is closed by screwing on the hand-nut the forks s3 34 will be clamped onto the operating-lever 7' and bind the parts together, and so hold them untilit is desired to lower the valve-cl. The construction therefore forms a clamp between the parts.

In the use of the coal-feeder a current of water is passed through the water-chamber e thereof, which carries off all heat which may have passed by induction or radiation to the body thereof below the valve, and it thus keeps these parts, including the valve and the upper body of the hopper which contains the coal, so cool as to prevent any distilling action whatever in the coal Within the hopper. The coal can therefore remain within the hopper for any desired timefor hours, if that be necessary-without being materially raised in temperature or at least without being raised so as to generate either undue pressure within the hopper or distillation of any of the hydrocarbons within the coal. This enables the operators to feed the hopper whenever it is emptyand to leave it filled ready for emptying, according as it is found proper in connection with the preferable operation of the generator. lVhere a number of these hoppers are employed in connection with the generators, the ordinary workmen can therefore proceed to lill them as they are emptied, While the more skilled superintendent or head operator can empty them and feed the coal to the generator at the proper time. In the mechanical operation of the hopper, to lill the same the valve 0l is closed through the operatin g-lever and the hand-nut screwed up so as to clamp the parts in this position, and the clamp-screwn is screwed up, leaving the Cotter-bar and lid free to be swung olf from the feeding-opening, and the hopper l) can then be filled without fear of escape of gas or smoke. The lid and Cotter-bar are then swung around to place, the clamp-screw n screwed down, clamping the lid upon the feedingopening,and the hopper remains filled until it is desired to dump the coal therefrom, To dump the coal, it is only necessary to screw back the hand-nut t and raise the operatinglever, when the coal will drop into the generator or furnace and the bottom valve can then be closed and the hopper refilled, ready to be dumped when a further supply of coal is needed in the generator. As above stated,

IOO

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when the coal remains in this hopper all such heat as would cause distillation of the tar or other hydrocarbons therein is carried away by the water fiowing through the water-chamber e of the Water-jacket, and therefore all liability of the clogging or sticking of the valve, which would prevent its being tightly closed and would cause escape of gas, is overcome.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A coal-feeding hopper having a hopperbody for containing the coal, an upwardlyclosing valve forming the bottom thereof, an annular water-Chamber around and in contaet with the walls of the Valve, and having a base-ange and a space between said baseivange and the base of the water-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a coal-feeding hopper, with an upwardly-closing valve d, of a rocker-bar h, having the socket 7L', the bolt d' fitting loosely within said socket andloonnec-ted to the valve d, shaft g2, lever p, operatinglever fr, strap s, and a clamp between said strap and operating-lever, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A coal-feeding hopper provided with a hopper-body having two Vertical posts k k2 in combination with the horizontally-swinging lid Z mounted on the post 7c', the Cotterbar m mounted on the post 7o andhaving the hollow seat 'm2 fitting under the head k3 of the post 7a2 and thel clamping-screw fn, passing through the Cotter-bar and contacting with the lid, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said JAMES L. HASTINGS, have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES L. HASTINGS.

Vitnesses:

JAMES I. KAY, ROBERT C. ToTTEN. 

